NYRA CHAIRMAN DUNCKER ON $25 MILLION LOAN
The following is a statement from NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker on the $25 million loan to NYRA:
The Board of Directors of the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) along with its management and dedicated employees are grateful for the State legislature’s approval last evening of a $25 million loan which guarantees world class thoroughbred racing at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack.
We appreciate the dedication and perseverance of Governor David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Conference Leader John Sampson, Senate racing committee Chairman Eric Adams, and Assembly racing and wagering committee Chairman Gary Pretlow, and their respective staff members, which resulted in this legislation.
We also express our profound gratitude to the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, our horse owners, and all of the community leaders surrounding our respective tracks for their unwavering assistance and support.
We await the State’s August recommendation of the firm to develop and operate the Aqueduct VLT facility so that the revenues fundamental to our 2008 Franchise Agreement with the State can commence and NYRA can continue its leadership role in the North American thoroughbred industry.
Tags: aqueduct, C. Steven Duncker, david paterson, Eric Adams, Gary Pretlow, John Sampson, New York Racing Association, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, nyra, Paulick Report, Sheldon Silver, VLT
May 25th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Might there be a clause in the $25 mil handout that prohibits more than one quarter of the Saratoga condition books being written with 5.5 furlong turf sprints for NY breds?
NYRA could have avoided these dire straits if they fined each and every smoker who avoids the “wrath” of the NYRA “security” at Saratoga. They do not admonish smokers who stand either in the clubhouse or on the stairwells in front of signs that read NO SMOKING!
It looks like the meet built on 1:04.85 Linda Rice winners, $18.95 hamburgers, $3.50 pieces of fried chicken and $4 bottled water survives.
One real question: Will the detention barn be scrapped?
May 25th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
If the detention barns are gone, what will the pinkertons do?
May 25th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Why the pinkertons will continue to suck off the corruption teet, same as all of the NYRA employees.
May 25th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Suggest Jim and clones stay home. I, for one, will be there early and often. There is no
better place to be than the Spa in August. Oh, and use your brain Jim, nice kids across from
the front gate sell water for $1.00. I even got a tasty cookie last year for 50 cents.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
I bring my own bottled water in. For those who are new to the sport and/or visiting the Spa, they must have sticker price shock and may very well not consider on returning. The price gouging, like much of the other greed associated with horse racing, has turned people off.
If one ever wants to know when the Spa “jumped the shark,” it was when Barclay Tagg kept Funny Cide on the sidelines because it was too warm. Frankel kept Empire Maker on the pine, too. Since then, attendance has dropped off (at least from around the year of that meet), but it could have been one of the epic races in Spa history (Derby winner that was born a few miles away from the venerable and historic race course).
May 25th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Jim, have you been to any other sporting events recently? The prices, while outrageous, are in line. One of the great joys of Saratoga is when you discover you can bring your own cooler with water, soda, beer or whatever you desire! How many other sporting events allow that?
Horse Racing “jumped the shark” decades ago as far as a popular sport for the masses. Saratoga, DelMar and Keeneland have managed to stay relevant in spite of that. I don’t think Tagg or Frankel made one bit of difference.
I hope you have a better day tomorrow, Jim.
May 25th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
These same people has lost and stolen at least $150,000,000 of tax payer money over the last 25 years. How do they get ANOTHER TAX PAYER LOAN. The NYRA should be out of business.
This really stinks.
Buddy
May 25th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
These same people have lost and stolen at least $150,000,000 of tax payer money over the last 25 years. How do they get ANOTHER TAX PAYER LOAN. The NYRA should be out of business.
This really stinks.
Buddy
May 26th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Congrats, Steve.
Now you can continue to waste away, a little bit at a time, for years to come, just like in the past, with a bandaid here and a bandaid there.
How inspiring.